


Mended

by sarrystagrams



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, mended
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-19
Updated: 2013-08-18
Packaged: 2017-12-20 15:52:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/889078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarrystagrams/pseuds/sarrystagrams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry's step father lands a job in the States, and they are suddenly forced to move from the bustling city of London to a small town in North Carolina. Harry is recruited for the American football team, and is thrown into a year that could be more hectic than he ever imagined. </p><p>Jenna has always been just an average high school girl who's gone through her 12 years in public school without much excitement surrounding her, apart from her parent's "almost divorce" during the summer. Just before her Senior year, a new boy moves in from London, and her entire world is turned upside down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys so this is my very first fan fiction and I'm really excited for everyone to see what ideas I have in store for this fan fiction. I know it's started a little slow but I promise it's going to get much better as I continue to write! Thank you so much if you read this and I really hope you enjoy it.
> 
> \-------------------------------------
> 
> I know there are people who will be disappointed at the lack of smut but to be honest I'm quite horrible at writing it so.... maybe there will be some later if I can figure out to make it hot and not hokey.

**Harry**

Harry was never one who liked change. In fact, he became anxious by the mere thought of it, so it was wonder that he was able to stand on his two feet when his parents had told him that were moving to America after school released for the summer. He was angry--no, that's an understatement. He was pissed, spitting and crying until he was blue in the face. His parents knew that he would react that way, especially to news as big as this.

Harry's step father, Robin, had landed a huge job in a small town in North Carolina. The state was up and coming for business, and the offer was just too great to refuse. Even though Harry knew that the family needed the extra money, he still wasn't going to just leave London without a fight.

Harry fought with his parents for a solid two months, even bringing Anne to the point of cursing him and kicking him out of the house for a day until he could fix his attitude because nothing was changing, mister.

Finally, he just gave up, because soon he was saying goodbye to his friends and boarding a plane to Charlotte.

And that's how he ended up in what he thinks is the smallest, most insignifcant town in the state of North Carolina. There are only a few restaurants, many of them family owned, and some small businesses on Main Street like a hair salon and a sporting goods store. The closest movie theater is twenty minutes away, and the closest mall, thirty. He'll have to travel by the interstate if he wants to get anywhere fast. He's also quite disappointed by the lack of bars in the town, but then he remembers that he won't be able to drink as soon as he turns eighteen in February anyway. He's noticed in his few days in town that it contains those bearing the most twangy Southern accents he's ever heard. He wonders if he'll ever get used to it.

He toured the school he would be attending for his Senior year and graduation yesterday, and all he can think about is how miserable he's going to be there. The school is poor and old, a small building with cracked floors and walls that look like they came from the 1960s. The classrooms are way smaller than what he's used to, and the bathrooms--well, he's just glad he doesn't have to sit down to piss.

He figures the only thing that's going to get him through the semester is that he's landed the spot as the football team's new wide receiver. Harry always loved American football as a child, dreaming of one day being able to participate in the sport for a job. That's why when his best friends, Ed and Nick, found a recreational team in their hometown, they promptly signed him up, telling him that it was finally his chance to see how good he could be. Harry found that he had a knack for football, especially as a wide receiver, his long legs and large hands assisting him in catching in running the ball without fumbling, and blocking defenders. Coach Miller, who recruited him yesterday, had noticed this about him, and practically begged Harry to come to the first practice of the season.

In fact, Harry is headed to his first day of practice. It's August 9th, and he's already sweating from the heat. It's too quiet as he walks down his empty street, pining for the hustle and bustle of London, the August breeze tousling his curly hair. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and continues down the narrow road, past houses and telephone poles, kicking small rocks as he walks to the school.

The humid air of the South makes his duffel bag feel twenty times heavier than it actually is, and, even though the school is only a few minutes away from his house, he feels winded by the time he reaches the field house.

As he walks up, he hears the twang of Southern accents pouring through the open windows. He grabs the handle of the heavy metal door and pulls it open. The large room is filled with noisy Junior and Senior boys, and racks of uniforms containing jerseys, pads, and helmets. Harry turns right as soon as he's inside, and finds himself in Coach Miller's tiny office. The coach doesn't see him at first, though, because he's ending a conversation with two Senior players, one who is quite tall and muscular, the other who is short and skinny.

"...and when he gets here, I want to make sure you make him feel welcome. Show him some of that Southern hospitality I know you were raised with, okay? He's travelled a long way and--" Coach Miller's voice cuts off when he sees Harry standing in the doorway. "Ah! Harry! It's great to see you again. I'm so glad you actually came." He stands up to shake Harry's hand and gesture towards the two boys. "I was just telling some of my star players about you. Boys, this is Harry Styles. He's travelled here all the way from London."

The two players smiled and moved forward to shake Harry's hand. "Hey, I'm Liam Payne," the tall one says, "and I'm your quaterback and team captain. It's nice to have you on the team." "Thanks," Harry says, "'s nice to meet you." Liam seems speechless when he hears Harry's accent, but the awkward moment fizzles when the shorter boy moves forward. "I'm Louis Tomlinson," he says with a wide smile, "and I'm the running back. It's nice to meet you." Harry smiles back. "You,too." Coach Miller grabs his clipboard off his desk and starts toward the door of the office. "Alright y'all, let's get this season started. I have a feeling it's going to be a good one."

\---

**Jenna**

Jenna's missed her friends, (especially Louis, who she's begun to develop feelings for over the Junior year) and now that summer is winding down, it's finally their chance to reunite. The six of them met at a popular, south eastern chain restuarant, Cookout, in Kannapolis, sipping milkshakes and eating french fries as they talk and laugh about what they've done over the summer. Zayn and Perrie begin, talking about how they spent almost the entire summer together, going to the beach twice and Disney World once. Zayn even had his art showcased in an exhibit in Raleigh. Perrie has been Jenna's best friend since the fourth grade, and Zayn has since he began dating Perrie. Zayn and Perrie are the kind of couple that are liable to get the "cutest couple" superlative at the end of the year.

Niall tells about his adventures of working at his father's pub in Charlotte. Niall is from Ireland; his family moved here when he was three and their Irish pub has made them pretty wealthy over the last ten years. His Irish accent is barely detectable under the southern twang he's picked up. He's the loudest of the group, and he laughs heartily when he tells them about a weekend where he played a gig at the pub and got rather drunk in the process.

Liam whines about how the most he did was go to the mountains for three days with his parents; the rest of his summer he was working as a lifeguard at the local pool. Louis has a similar story, except he went to the beach for a week and he works at Chick-fil-A. Louis, Liam, and Jenna have been inseperable since kindergarten. Louis is much closer to Jenna though; he's the one who's always there to wipe her tears and pick up her broken pieces, especially this summer when Jenna's parents almost divorced.

Louis and Liam begin to discuss the first day of football practice, excitedly giving their opinions on the team and shouting put their predictions for the team will be able to beat. Liam even goes as far as saying that the team could beat the Eagles, who have run undefeated since 2011. Niall sips his milkshake boredly, pretending to listen; he only really likes soccer. Finally Louis gets wide eyed and begins to talk enthusiastically about the new kid on the team.

"...and he's a really good runner and catcher, but the best thing is: he's British." Louis and Liam glance around the round table, looking for reactions. "No way!" Jenna slams her milkshake on the table. Louis looks at her and smirks. "Yep. Coach Miller asked us to take him under our wings so we invited him to the bonfire on Thursday." Jenna's way too excited for her own good. No one ever moves to China Grove from foreign countries, except for Niall and an Australian who graduated in the Spring. "What does he look like?" Jenna eyes Liam and Louis.

Liam begins. "Well, he's a little taller than me, and he's really tan for a British guy." Louis continues. "Yeah, and he has curly hair and green eyes and more tattoos than Zayn." Zayn eyes the half sleeve the decorates his right forearm. "Are you sure about that?" He raises his eyebrows. Liam says, "yes. Positive. He has like twenty-seven." "Is he hot?" Perrie asks, receiving a pinch in the ribs from Zayn. Louis gives her a look. "Uh, sure, I guess."

Jenna leans into Louis' side, and he puts his arm around her. "I've missed you so much, best friend." He whispers. Jenna stiffens, and she has to admit, that stings a little. Louis notices her sudden tension and shoots her a curious glance. "I'm fine." She gives him a small smile. "Just a... mosquito. I've missed you, too." And she wonders if he'll ever feel the same.


	2. Chapter 2

**Harry**

**  
**Harry jumps when he hears a car horn blare through his open bedroom window. It's 6:00 on Thursday night, and Harry knows who it is, but he still rises to peek through the curtains. As he expected, it's Liam in his red pick up, and Harry can't help but smirk when he sees the numerous deer hunting stickers that adorn the truck. Liam had explained in great detail how much he loves waking up at 3:00 AM to go sit in his tree stand for four hours just to (maybe) shoot one deer. He had then proceeded to describe the skinning and gutting process, at the end of which he asked Harry if he would like to try some deer meat next season. Harry had declined with a shudder.

Harry closes his window and grabs his keys off of the hook by the door, locking the door as he leaves. He climbs into the passenger side of Liam's truck. "What's up, man?" Liam says. "Hey Liam." Harry replies. Harry was actually kind of surprised that the Southerners don't actually say "Howdy" as a greeting. He made it a point to tell Ed and Nick, who were for some reason extremely interested, over their last Skype call. 

  
"So," Liam begins as he puts the truck in reverse, "when we get to Louis' house his Mom and sisters will be there, but they're leaving to join Dan, Johannah's boyfriend, at the beach for the weekend, after dinner." He looks over his shoulder to make sure there's no oncoming traffic before he backs out of the driveway. "Then we'll have the real party." Liam finishes with a mishcievious grin. Harry isn't quite sure what to make of the look, but he smiles back and says "alright, cool." 

It takes less than ten minutes to arrive at Louis house, which is located on the other side of town in a small development. Harry's mouth drops when he sees where his teammate lives and he figures his parents must be very well off to live in such a place. There are two stories; the first possesses a wrap around porch and the second a large balcony that belongs to the rooms that face the road. The exterior of the house is stone on the front and light pink brick on the rest of the walls. A fountain stands in the area between the driveway and the front door, and a three car garge is attachted to the left side of the house. 

"He doesn't look like he would live here, does he?" Liam asks when he sees Harry's expression. "Or act like it." Harry adds. Liam exits the truck and Harry follows, walking with him down a path of stepping stones that lead to a patio in the backyard. Harry hears loud music and smells hamburgers. Five teenagers sit around a large table, and Liam takes the liberty of introducing Harry when they walk up. "Hey everyone!" Liam practically shouts. "This is Harry, from England!" The teenagers around the table give him twangy hellos and "nice to meet you"s. 

Harry looks around the table nervously. He sees a tightly intwined couple, the boy sporting a large quiff and multiple tattoos, the girl sporting long, blonde hair and bright red lipstick. They tell Harry that they're Zayn and Perrie, respectively, and Liam interjects saying they're the "cutest couple in the entire high school." Harry has to agree.

Next is a (fake) blonde boy who has a slightly foreign accent and a guitar in his lap. His name is Niall, he tells Harry, he's Irish, and apprently he's quite the drinker. He promises that Harry will see his skills by the end of the night. Harry recognizes Louis, or course, and gives him a nod. Then he notices her. 

There's a girl pressed up next to Louis, and he has his arm around her like it's an every day occurance. Harry is confused; Louis had said that he was single at last week's practice. Oh well, Harry thinks. A lot can happen in a week. Still, Harry is captivated by her; her grey eyes, her long, two-toned hair, her cute nose, her smile. She's about to introduce herself, but she's cut off by a voice behind Harry. 

"Alright, Louis, the girls and I are getting ready to leave. You know the rules. Make sure you keep the doors locked and only answer the door for people you kn--oh." Johannah stops when she sees Harry. "Hello! You must be Harry. From London, right?" Harry gives her a short nod. "Oh, Louis has told me so much about you! I really hope you enjoy it here." She pulls him into a scincere hug and Harry doesn't really know what to do. She walks over to where Louis is sitting and gives him a big, sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Mommy loves you!" She says sweetly. "Be good!" 

Louis' face has turned as red as the tomatoes that have been set out for the hamburgers and the rest of the boys are snickering as Johannah turns to leave. When she's out of earshot, Louis says "Oh, shut the hell up, would you? Can we just eat now please?" They fill their plates and gather around the table once more. They talk until sunset, Harry answering quesitons about England and asking questions about the town. Every once and a while, Harry can't help but glance up to look at the girl who is still pressed up against Louis. She catches him once or twice, smiling when their eyes meet. 

When it begins to get dark, Louis jumps out of his chair. "I'll be right back." he says. Harry watches in surprise as Louis pulls a lose board from under the veranda and disappears. "What is he--" Harry begins, but he can barely form the words before Louis has crawled back out clutching a large cooler and a bag of what is unmistakingly weed. So that's what Liam meant. 

Louis places the cooler on the patio and passes the bag of weed to Zayn. Louis grabs a beer from the cooler and walks to the pile of wood and dried leaves that rests at the edge of the woods; he ignites the leaves and soon a huge bonfire rages in the middle of the yard. Everyone stands and grabs a beer, except Niall, who grabs three and has already downed the first one by the time most of them are settled in their lawn chairs by the fire. Liam grabs two and passes one to Harry, who takes a reluctant sip as he walks towards the fire. He decides he'll drink it; it's really good beer, and besides, he's had drinks with Ed and Nick at home. He shouldn't embarrass himself--at least, he hopes he won't.

The night continues be the bonfire, the party becoming steadily louder and more hilarious as most of them get tipsy. Harry hasn't even down half of his beer before Louis is standing in front of him, offering him a blunt. Harry politely declines, and is rather surprised when Louis seems cool about it. Everyone else takes one though, including Louis Girl. Zayn passes around a lighter adorned with comic book art, and when Harry recieves it, he passes it on to her, curious when she just passes it straight to Louis, her unlit blunt still in her hand. 

Harry stares at her for a moment too long, though, because she catches him and shoots him a smile. He blushes and turns his head to face the ground, not noticing that the girl has whispered something to Louis and is making her way over to sit on the ground in front of his chair. 

"Hi." She smiles again. "I'm Jenna. I don't think I got to properly introduce myself. It's really nice to meet you." Harry is dumbstruck because shit, even her accent is cute. He blinks a few times before replying. "Oh, erm--it's nice to meet you too. I'm, er, Harry, uh, of course." He silently curses himself for being so awkward as he runs his hand through his hair. 

"So you don't smoke, either?" Jenna asks. "Nah," Harry says, "it's just not fun for me, y'know?" And that was a truthful answer. Harry had tried it once or twice with Ed and Nick, but he's never understood what's so fun about it. He doesn't mind when other people do it though. It's their life, not his. 

"Same here." Jenna says. "So... how did you even find this town? People from the other side of the state don't even know about it." Harry shrugs. "My stepdad, Robin, got a huge job offer here. It's really quite a random place, isn't it?" "Uh, yeah." Jenna scoffs. Then she smiles. "So tell me about yourself, and maybe I'll tell you about me." Harry's startled about how straightforward Jenna is, but he finds himself filled with the desire to answer every single she has. "Erm... alright. What do you want to know?" 

Harry and Jenna talk for hours, exchanging random facts about each other, answering each other's questions, and laughing until their sides hurt. Occasionally, they're interrupted by Niall, who excitedly updates them on how many beers he's been able to drink, or Louis, who walk up to Jenna and whisper his drunken thoughts in her ear. Jenna giggles a lot at whatever he's telling her, and Harry hopes that one day he can make her face light up just like Louis can.

 

\----------

  
 **Jenna**

Jenna wakes up feeling like abolute shit. She had ended up having to play designated driver for Perrie, who was too drunk to stand by the end of the night. Perrie isn't one who handles copious amounts of alcohol well, and though Jenna had reminded her of this, Perrie just continued drink anyway. Perrie had thrown up in Jenna's car just before they arrived at her house, and Jenna was in Louis' driveway cleaning her car out until 5:00 AM. Jenna is positive that Perrie has the worst hangover she's ever had, and she'll have to go to her grandmother's with it. Jenna isn't sympathetic: that's what she gets for puking in her car.

Jenna had crawled into bed with Louis at 5:15, carefully stepping around the four large, unmoving figures sleeping on piles of pillows on Louis' bedroom floor. Louis wouldn't mind waking up with Jenna in his bed; in fact, he liked the company from what Jenna could tell. Besides, this is normal: they've been having sleepovers (in the same bed) for years.

Jenna had actually lived at Louis' house for two weeks at the beginning of the summer when her parents almost divorced. She had a guest room to sleep in, but she usually ended up in Louis' bed on nights where the situation was just too much for her to handle.  

Jenna had blamed herself for her parents' arguing. She felt like if she weren't around, her parents' marriage could be saved. Before she moved in with Louis for a while, Jenna became extremely depressed and had even contemplated suicide, just so her parents could be happy again. But Louis had saved her, had seen her scars, had wiped her tears, had convinced her of her worth. Louis would hold her and dry her tears at all hours of the night, whispering things like "you're beautiful," "you're valuable," and "they love you" in her ears till she calmed down, pressing kisses to her head, her cheek, her shoulders in between. Jenna recalls one night when she couldn't stop crying and Louis had just kissed her on the mouth; they lay in Louis' bed and made out for the better part of an hour, until Jenna finally stopped crying and was able to fall asleep in Louis' arms.

Now it's 12:58 PM on a Friday and Jenna has a headache and Louis is crowding her and she's in a terrible mood. She tries to move Louis over so she can go back to sleep, but even though Louis is small, he's still bigger than her, and she's quite unsuccessful at getting him to move. She sighs and decides that she might as well get up. Jenna checks her phone and finds a message from her mom that arrived only twenty minutes ago telling her to stay at Louis' for a while. She figures that's code for "We're fighting again."

Jenna stretches and walks to Louis' bathroom, artfully avoiding the four boys sleeping in the floor. When she sees her reflection in the large mirror hanging on the wall, she shudders. Her hair is matted together, sticking to her face and sticking out of her head at awkward angles. Her makeup from last night has smeared all over her eyes, worsening the look of the dark circles that have appeared under her lower lids from lack of sleep. Her shirt and shorts are flecked with what Jenna assumes is Perrie's vomit. Gross. 

Jenna decides that a shower is mandatory. She gathers her favorite oversized hoodie from Louis' dresser and a pair of cloth shorts from Lottie's. When she's finished, she dresses in the bathroom and begins to brush her hair out. It's always tangled, and she's working on a particularly difficult knot when there's a knock on the bathroom door.

"Louis?" Jenna calls. "No," a drawling British accent answers, "it's Harry. The other boys aren't awake yet." Jenna's mouth drops when she hears him speak. She had thought that his accent was sexy last night when he was wide awake, but it was nothing compared to what she's hearing now, his accent somehow thicker and huskier through the grogginess. 

She swings the door open. Harry is right in front of the door, leaning with one arm extended straight in front of him on the door frame, his head down, hair haning in his face. Holy shit, Jenna thinks. He's wearning a tanktop and she can't stop looking at his tattoos and his arm muscles, which are accentuated by the way he's pushing on the doorframe. At some point he had borrowed a pair of Louis' shorts because he's changed out of his black skinnies and his legs look hot. He looks up at her and smiles lazily. "D'you mind if I use the toilet really fast?" Jenna nods and walks past him as he enters the bathroom, closing the door behind him.  Jenna continues to drag her brush through her hair, finally working the knot out as Harry opens the bathroom door to let her back in.

She expects him to leave, but instead he just sits down on the toilet and looks up at her. Jenna squirms a little, but finally, working through the awkwardness, is able to speak. "So... did you sleep well?" "As well as you can sleep next to a drunk Irishman." Harry replies, earning a grin from Jenna. "Did you?" Jenna recalls all of the events from last night. "Not at all." She gives a recap of her night to Harry, who listens attentively. When she's finished and Harry has told her how sorry he feels for her, she puts her brush down and beckons Harry to follow her from the bathroom.

"I'm starving." Jenna says as she leads Harry downstairs. "What d'you think? Should we order a pizza?" She's actually craving one, and she knows that her boys would love to wake up to one. Harry nods enthusiastically. Jenna orders enough pizza for everyone and makes sure to include all of their favorite toppings. She joins Harry on the large couch in the living room and is about to strike up a conversation with him when she hears familiar footsteps on the stairs.

"Jenna?" Louis reaches the bottom of the stairs, his eyes squinting at the light. "Right here." Jenna says. Louis pads over and hugs her from behind the couch, smiling lazily as he presses a kiss to her wet hair. "Hey, love." He sways a little when he straightens up, and immediately Jenna knows she's going to be here all day. He's always hungover after parties. "Come here and sit down before you end up on the floor." He saunters over and sits on Jenna's left, sprawling out so much that Jenna ends up pressed against Harry's side, Louis' head resting in her lap. 

"Sorry," Jenna says, blushing, "but he's always like this." Harry clears his throat. "Erm, it's alright. Don't worry about it." Jenna strokes Louis' hair and he leans into her touch. She notices Harry watching her uncomfortably, and silently thanks God when the doorbell rings and the awkward silence breaks. "Harry, do you mind going to wake up the other boys?" Jenna pushes Louis' head from her lap and stands so she can pay for the pizza. 

When the rest of the group is awake and medicated, Jenna places the pizza and some plates on the coffee table. The six of them eat on the couch, sharing their favorite moments from last night's bonfire and recieving a total beer count from Niall: he was able to drink almost fifteen before he passed out. Jenna grins when Harry's eyes widen in amazement. 

They spend the rest of their day in Louis' basement watching movies on the large flatscreen and dozing off every once in a while. Jenna catches Harry looking at her more than once, especially once when he doesn't realize that she's awake, and when they lock eyes her stomach flutters. It's a feeling that she's never possessed before, not even with Louis, but she likes it. She hopes Harry will stick around. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After the next chapter, things should be picking up speed. 
> 
> If you really like my writing so far, please share it with your friends. I'm working really hard to make this as awesome as I can. :)  
> \-------------
> 
> I just wanted to let you all know that I'm not going to be able to write from 7/21-7/30. I'm going to a medical conference thingy, and I most likely won't be able to post while I'm there. I'll try, but it's not likely. I'm going to post as soon as I get back though. I really hope all of you are enjoying the story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO FRIENDS I AM HERE
> 
> I am finally home from my excursions. I got home on Wednesday, but I wanted this chapter to be really good. I've been working on it each evening since then. 
> 
> I know it feels slow, but they're not going to just meet at the bonfire then have sex on Louis' bedroom floor. I want it be as realistic as possible. There are so many ways I could go with this story. I already know a few things I want to include. 
> 
> I hope you like the opportunity I've given Jenna, Niall, and Perrie. I know that it would never happen in a normal public school setting, but I wanted to add something that I could use in the later parts of the story. 
> 
> I promise the story will get faster within the next few chapters. I need to set the situation and, again, make it as realistic as I possibly can. The next update will be sometime next week, and I can't for you all to see how the story unfolds. :)
> 
> Thank you for reading! You can follow me on twitter @sarrystagrams, and if you have any questions at all about the story please ask: ask.fm/5secsofsarry.
> 
> -S
> 
> P.S. 100 hits already! Thank you so much!

**Harry**

Harry taps the eraser end of his pencil on the edge of his desk. _Tt tt tt tt tt tt tt._ It's a Wednesday, and it's the first day of school. Harry is in first period (Anatomy/Physiology) and he's bored out of his mind. Harry didn't realize that the first day of school in America is basically "let's talk about rules and curriculum and supplies you need" day. He also didn't realize what "block scheduling" means: he has four classes a day, each ninety minutes long. The classes will change next semester. He has a feeling that the days are going to be long. 

He's already gotten more attention than he's wanted today, and he's only been at school for a little over an hour. From the moment he walked in, all eyes have been on him. People gawk when he speaks, and it doesn't help that he's going to have to tell all of his teachers that he prefers to be called "Harry," not Harold as his name appears on the class rosters. In fact, only thirty minutes earlier, he'd done just that, and a girl had smirked at him from across the room. Since then, she's been looking Harry up and down, and it's making him quite uncomfortable. 

This morning, Harry had met with his new friends in the Senior Lobby and they had exchanged schedules. Harry was pleased to learn that he has at least one class with each of them, and his stomach flipped when he saw that he has two classes with Jenna, 2nd and 4th period. Perrie and Zayn have all but one class together, and Harry wonders if they convinced the guidance counselors to make it happen.

He has first period with Niall and Liam, both of whom look as bored as he feels. The three of them were going to sit next to each other but when they walked into the classroom the teacher uttered the dreaded words "assigned seats." So now Harry is stuck staring at the back of Liam's head and casting sideways glances at Niall when the teacher isn't paying attention. 

Harry rests his head in his hand and counts down the minutes until first period ends. He groans inwardly when he sees that only half of the class period has elapsed. Forty-five minutes to go.

He lets his mind wander to the upcoming football game. Friday is the first time Harry will actually play American football in America. The team has been practicing for the better part of the past three weeks, and though Coach Miller says that the team is well prepared, Harry can't help the anxiety that's been creeping its way into his head for the past few days. With it comes the pesky "what if"s. 

What if Harry fumbles? What if he doesn't run fast enough? What if he runs the wrong the way? What if he causes a loss and becomes the most hated kid in school? What if he's seriously injured?

Harry takes a deep breath and tells himself to stop. He knows that mistakes happen and no one will hate him. He just doesn't want to disappoint anyone, espcially his new coach and his parents. 

Harry glances around the room. The girl is still staring at him from the left side of the room. She winks when Harry makes eye contact with her, and he glances away uncomfortably, his eyes wide. He turns the other way to look at Niall, who's noticed the girl's seductive looks. He shrugs then shakes his head, and Harry takes the look on his face as a subtle warning.

Many unecessary papers and a "no cell phones" talk later, the bell rings. Harry can hardly mask his relief as he stands, straightening his white t-shirt. He gathers his things and begins to make his way toward the door, where Niall and Liam are waiting, when the girl who was staring at him taps him on the shoulder. 

"Hi." She says as he turns around. "Erm... hey." He has to admit that he feels uncomfortable. The girl extends her hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Chelsea, but everyone calls me Chels." Harry observes that she possess an annoyingly high voice. He shakes her hand awkwardly. "I'm Harry. 'S nice to meet you, too." The girl, Chelsea, smiles. "Well, Harry," she begins, deepening her voice and attempting to say his name in a British accent (Harry cocks his eyebrows--her attempt was horrible), "what class do you have next?" Harry tries to recall his schedule as Chelsea stares up at him a little too eagerly. "Calculus." He replies curtly. Chelsea blinks. She looks disappointed. "Oh. I have that fourth period. I have folk art." She frowns. Harry is getting annoyed. There are only five minutes between class periods and she's already wasted two of them. Now he won't have any time to get lost. "Well, I'll see you around, I guess. Bye!" Harry doesn't say anything as she leaves the classroom, rudely scoffing as she pushes her way around Niall. She tries to flirt with Liam but he just glares at her as she walks down the hallway.

Harry walks toward Liam and Niall, who mutters something that sounds like "what a pompous bitch" as they head down the hallway. Harry looks toward the other boys expectantly. Liam speaks. "Chelsea Johnson." He practically spits her name. "She's a cheerleader. She hangs out in a clique with like five other girls who do nothing but gossip and try to get boys in their pants. They're repulsive." He has a disgusted look on his face, and Niall chimes in. "But Chelsea's the worst. I hate her, she hates me. She practically ruined Zayn before he got with Perrie." He grits his teeth as his face turns red. "But I'm not talking about it now. It pisses me off too much." Harry thinks about how loyal Niall must be, and wonders what happened between the boy that is practically Niall's brother and the girl that is turning the corner in front of them. 

Liam stops walking and points straight ahead. "The calculus classroom is the second door on the right. Niall and I have English with Louis, so we'll see you later." Liam smiles and Niall waves as they turn and walk down the hallway. Harry heads to calculus, noting the bathroom he passes on the way down the hall. He counts the doors to make sure he's at the correct classroom, and, when he's sure of himself, he walks inside. 

Harry's eyes sweep around the crowded classroom. There must be thirty Seniors in here, and Harry wonders why in the world they all decided to take calculus second period. He hears his name being called from the back of the classroom. Zayn is sitting in between Perrie and Jenna, and they're all smiling and waving him over. It looks like they've saved him a seat. He smiles and walks over, taking the empty seat next to Jenna. 

"How was first period?" Jenna asks, leaning forward to better see him. Harry's breath hitches in his chest. She looks beautful today. She's taken care to straigten her hair instead of leaving it wavy like she usually does. She's wearing skinny jeans and a flattering top, and her matching eyeshadow makes her eyes look even more grey than usual. He stares for a moment too long before blushing and answering. "Boring as shit, to be honest. I didn't know that it was rule day." Jenna nods. "Yep, that's pretty much all the first day is." Harry clears his throat. "Uh... How was yours?" Jenna smiles. "It was pretty good. Louis was assigned as my lab partner." She grins widely. 

Harry can't help but feel jealous of Louis, and now he's questioning why in the world his chose to take Anatomy and not AP Biology. His brain is working overtime, and Jenna is staring at him expectantly. He wracks his brain for something, anything, to talk about. Just when it's about to get awkward, the bell rings. Harry sighs, relieved, as the teacher walks to the front of the classroom. This woman is more exciting than the last, and cracks a few jokes during the class period. Harry braces himself for the stares when she calls roll, and his expectations are met when at least half of the class turns to look at him when he tells her that he prefers to be called Harry, if she doesn't mind. 

Harry spends most of the rules and curriculum session stealing glances at Jenna when he thinks she isn't paying attention. He admires the way she looks when she's fixated on what the teacher is saying; her eyebrows furrow and she bites her lip. Damn, she's cute. The rest of the time he's exchanging gestures with Zayn, who appears to be even more bored than Harry is. Second period seems to pass faster than first, and before they know it, the bell is ringing and it's time to move to third period. 

The four of them walk to the door together. "What does everyone have next again?" Zayn asks. "I have art." Perrie says, "Jenna and I have chorus with Niall." Harry had forgotten that Jenna loves to sing, and apparently she, Perrie. and Niall are really talented. He suddenly imagines Jenna singing to him when he can't sleep or when he's upset. He's shaken from his thoughts when he realizes they're all looking at him expectantly. He needs to stop getting so lost in this girl he's only known for three weeks. "Oh! I have weightlifting." 

Jenna gasps. "Hey! Those are all on the same end of the school. We can walk together!" As the four friends walk down the hallway Perrie and Jenna tell Harry about some of the people the pass, including a couple of preppy looking girls named Eleanor and Danielle. They wave when the group passes.They're cheerleaders, and Harry asks if they're in the same clique as Chelsea from earlier. They ask him how he knows about her and he recounts the events of the morning. 

"Oh, no. They really only hang out with each other and a few guys from the sports teams though." Jenna has to look up at Harry when she speaks. She's almost an entire foot shorter than Harry. He finds it extremely attractive. Perrie interrupts his thoughts. "Danielle and Liam dated for a while last year. Things got really ugly by the end of it. We're not very fond of her, but Eleanor is alright, I guess." Harry has so many questions he wants to ask of his new friends, but he's going to have to wait because they've just arrived at the chorus classroom.

Harry looks on awkwardly as Zayn and Perrie swap saliva. They're kissing like they're going to be apart for two years, not ninety minutes. They'll see each other at lunch. Harry looks at Jenna and raises his eyebrows. She gives him a shrug and look that says "they're always like this." Niall walks past, rolling his eyes at the happy couple as he enters the chorus room. When they finally finish eating each other's faces, the boys tell the girls they'll see them at lunch, and the girls wave as they disappear through the door.

Harry is slightly disappointed that he can't stay with Jenna. He follows Zayn down the hallway and when they reach the art classroom Zayn points the way to weightlifting, which meets in the locker room. Harry mutters thanks and he walks in the direction Zayn pointed, relieved when he spots Louis and Liam turning into the room Zayn indicated. 

The locker room is a good size. Small, red lockers line two of the walls; the other two contain a bathroom, showers, and a coach's office. Harry finds Liam and Louis, who is engrossed in texting someone, and sits next to them on a bench. The next ninety minutes pass by slowly. Harry likes the weightlifting coach, but his monotonous voice is putting him to sleep. Louis continues to text throughout the class period, and Liam amuses himself by balancing his pencil on different parts of his body. 

Harry's thoughts wander to Jenna. He tries to think about anything else but his thoughts always drift back to her. He can't explain why, but something draws him to her. He thinks about every part of her. Her sparkling eyes. Her full lips. Wow. Her lips. He imagines being able kiss her, to look into her eyes and tell her how beautiful she is. Harry tries again to make himself stop--he's only known her for three weeks. He can't be in this deep after only a few weeks. 

However, no matter how much he tries to deny it, she has captivated him, and he knows there is no going back.

\------

**Jenna**

Despite the morning being boring as shit, Jenna is actually happy to be back at school for chorus. Music has always played a huge part in her life, and it was one of the things that helped her through her difficult summer. She hopes to pursue a career in music somehow; it's her biggest passion. She loves her friends from chorus and she thinks of them as her second family. They have nothing but fun singing and dancing and performing together. She's glad to be among them once more. 

The choral director, Mrs. Moore, is very enthusiastic when it comes to choir. She's a perfectionist and gets really uptight around concert time, but she only wants the best for her classes. In fact, her choir is the best in the county, and they all know it. She greets the Seniors and returning Juniors enthusiastically, and she welcomes the new Juniors and Sophomores. 

Jenna is in the advanced choir, and she worked hard to get here with Niall and Perrie. Luckily, all three of them were able to be inducted as Sophomores. Mrs. Moore has taken quite a liking to them, and she tells them she would like to see them after class. 

They start by learning everyone's names, a ritual that Mrs. Moore has been practicing for years. Then, she hands out some important dates for them to remember and a commitment sheet that she requires everyone to sign and turn in. She doesn't want anyone slacking off, and Jenna understands. They're always busy getting ready for concerts, competitions, and auditions. There's no time to be distracted. 

When the bell rings, Jenna, Niall, and Perrie gather around Mrs. Moore's piano. "It's so great to have you three here again! I just can't believe it's your last year," she gushes. She's always so emotional. It's something Jenna loves and hates about her. Mrs. Moore speaks again, her voice more serious than before. "Now, let's get down to business. I don't want to keep you from your lunch. I wanted to ask you three if you would like to be the class officers this year." All three of them nod enthusiastically and tell her thank you, but Jenna knows that's not the only thing she has to say.

"One more thing before you all go." She rifles through her bag and hands each of them a flier. Jenna gasps when she reads the name on the front. "I've been asked by a certain college to send my best students to attend auditions at the end of school year, and I've chosen you three. You'll be travelling to Juliard to audition for the music program. It's an all expense paid trip." Jenna can hardly believe what she's hearing. It takes her a moment to process the chance she's been given. She's been wanting to attend Juliard since she started singing in high school. She looks over at Perrie, who's staring wide eyed and open mouthed at the flier in her hands, and Niall, who's rubbing the back of his neck and sporting the biggest, toothiest smile he can muster. 

Jenna manages to speak. "W-wow. I-I don't even know what to say, Mrs. Moore. I-Thank you so much. This is incredible." They each hug their choral director and say thank you a few too many times, and before they head to lunch Mrs. Moore promises that she's going to help them prepare. They walk out of the chorus room in a daze to find Louis, Liam, Zayn, and Harry waiting for them outside the door. 

Louis puts his arm around Jenna when she walks up to him. "What took you so long and why are you grinning so big?" Jenna can hardly contain herself. They walk to lunch as she recounts the last 10 minutes, Perrie and Niall interrupting occasionally to add something. Louis pulls her into a tight hug as they reach the lunch lines. "I'm so proud of you," he says. Let's all go out tonight and celebrate!" Jenna smiles as she motions for the lunch lady to put chicken and rice on her plate. Louis is always so enthusiastic. "Louis, we haven't even auditioned yet." Louis shrugs. "So? It's a step closer for y'all to live your dreams. That _definitely_ deserves some celebration." 

They find an empty table in the cafeteria and sit down in their usual formation: Liam, Louis, Jenna on one side, and Niall, Zayn, Perrie on the other. Harry sits in the empty seat next to Niall. They begin eating and sharing stories of their first three classes of the day. Harry even tells them about something that happened with Chelsea Johnson in Anatomy this morning. Jenna cringes and feels an overwhelming sense of territorialism toward Harry. She knows it's unfounded, but she tells herself it's okay; she only feels that way because she hates Chelsea for qhat she did Zayn three years ago. 

Jenna is still buzzing from what happened earlier, and she can barely talk about the normal things that happened to her today. When it's Jenna's turn to speak, her good mood slowly deteriorates. Louis isn't really engaged in what she's saying. He keeps texting someone, and Jenna is feeling really annoyed. She almost blows up when she doesn't answer one of her questions right off. She takes a deep breath and looks around at Liam as if to say "what's his problem?" Liam only shrugs and shakes his head. Jenna decides it's best if she just continues on with her stories.

She looks around the table at her other friends. She notices that Harry looks straight into her eyes when she speaks, except when he's looking down at his plate when he takes small bites of his food. He seems to be intrigued by every word that rolls off her tongue, even though she's pretty sure that her first day stories are boring as shit. She likes the attention he's giving her though. Something about him makes her stomach flip and her grin to spread each time she makes eye contact with him. 

As they walk from the cafeteria to their next classes, Jenna's annoyance with Louis skyrockets. He doesn't say anything the entire time. He just keeps his eyes glued to his phone, and when they get to the intersection between the math and English hallways, Louis only looks up for a second to say "see you after school." He continues walking without giving Jenna their usual hug. She grits her teeth. She doesn't need blow up at him in the middle of the crowded hallway. Liam says, "I don't know what his problem is. I'll try to talk to him, though." Jenna nods curtly and follows Zayn, Perrie, and Harry to English.

The AP Literature classroom is practically empty when they arrive, and only a few students filter in after they find seats in the back. Jenna knew this wouldn't be a big class, so she isn't surprised when the bell rings and there are only fourteen students in the classroom. The teacher begins the first day drone and Jenna tunes her out after a few minutes. She tries to keep her thoughts off of the unresponsive Louis and finds that focusing on Harry is the only way she can do that.

She allows herself to think about him. It's harmless, right? She's only curious about him because he's new here. She didn't learn that much about him at the bonfire, mostly just where he's from and what his plans after college are. She has to admit, though, that he's extremely hot. He's very well built, he has amazing hair, and his eyes--wow. They're greener than the summer grass. His crooked smile is enough to give her butterflies, and she wonders how in the world he makes her feel this way; Louis never could.

Just then, Harry looks over, interrupting her thoughts. Oh shit. She's been caught staring at him. She blushes, but he only shoots her a quick smile before turning back to "listen" to the teacher ramble on. She's talking about the books the class is going to have to read this semester, and Jenna can't help but wonder if Harry likes literature. 

She realizes that most of her thoughts throughout the class period are consumed by Harry. She can't help it. There's just something about him that intrigues her. Maybe it's that he's paying more attention to her than Louis is. She can;t be sure, but as they walk out to their cars at the end of the day, Jenna thinks of how nice it is to have him around. She hopes that he won't leave, and she can't ignore the small stab of pain that plagues her at the thought if he does. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 200 hits already! Thank you so much to everyone who's read!
> 
> This chapter took me so long to write, y'all. I wanted it to be really detailed and good.   
> I promise that the next chapter is going to be exciting! I have an event planned.
> 
> Keep reading and if you like it, please tell everyone you can about it! 
> 
> Thank you again, and enjoy!
> 
> -S

**Harry**

**  
**Harry fumbles with the doorknob as he tries to leave his room on Friday morning. He takes a deep breath, clutches the knob tightly, and turns it, pulling inward. It's seven o'clock in the morning and Harry is already having trouble pushing his nerves away. He knows it's irrational, but he really doesn't feel like making a fool of himself at the first game of the season. He walks into the kitchen and grabs a banana, eyeing it as if he doesn't know if he'll be able to stomach even a bite. He knows he has to, though, or he won't have any energy for the game tonight. He peels the banana and takes a small bite, chewing as he walks into the living room. Anne and Robin sit together on the loveseat in front of the television, watching the morning news as they chew their breakfast.

Anne turns when she hears Harry enter the room, and she wipes her mouth as she stands. "There's my boy!" She strides toward Harry and wraps him in her arms. "Big day today, huh?" she states as she kisses his cheek. Harry nods. He feels he should be embarrassed by such gestures from his mother, but right now they are comforting and he wishes she would not have let him go. "'M really nervous." He casts his gaze to the floor and digs his toes into the carpet. Anne reaches out and rubs Harry's arms. Again, Harry feels some comfort. "You should not feel nervous in the least. Robin and I, "she glances toward her husband, who has turned to look at Harry, "-we believe in you, yeah? You're a very talented boy, and we are so proud of you. You're going to do great things tonight--and all season. Be confident, baby. We love you." She plants another kiss to Harry's forehead. Harry notices that her eyes are glistening. He rolls his eyes.

"Mum, stop it!" Harry groans. Anne sniffs and pats him on the shoulder. "Now get going," she says, "or you'll be late. I love you." Harry watches as she takes her empty plate into the kitchen, wiping her eyes as she goes. Robin stands and walks over to Harry. "We really are proud of you," he says. "We'll see you tonight." Robin smacks Harry on the back. "Go get 'em." Harry smiles and mumbles his thanks. He's not shaking as much, and he feels a little more lighthearted knowing his mom and his stepdad believe he can do well. He pulls on his brown boots, banana still in hand. He frowns, noticing the multiple holes forming in in the toes and heels of his favorite pair of shoes. He's going to have to get new ones tomorrow. He takes another bite of the banana, this one going down much easier as he grabs his bookbag and his athletic bag and leaves the house.

The morning is cool, a slight breeze ruffling the curls at the nape of Harry's neck. He shudders; it tickles and distracts him. He scratches at the back of his neck and makes a mental note that he'll have to fix that for the game. He kicks at pebbles as he walks, and when he finishes the banana he throws the peel into the grass on the side of the road. Upon arriving at school, he deposits his athletic bag in the weight room then heads to the senior lobby to meet his friends.

As he closes the distance between himself and his friends, he notices that Louis and Liam are acting like today is just a normal day. He guesses it is, for them, but for him--definitely not. Jenna is sitting on the table in the middle of her lobby, her legs hanging over the side. Louis' hand is resting on her knee. Harry feels jealousy creeping its way into his head. He sighs as he arrives at the table. "Good morning!" Jenna swings her legs and shoots him a wide smile. They've become pretty good friends, and Harry is glad. He loves talking to her. She never fails to turn his mood around, and besides, she's cute to look at. Today, she's wearing a brown shirt and hunter green jeans that hug her curves. Her hair is curled, and Harry can't help but notice that the eyeshadow she's wearing makes her grey eyes look transparent. He's snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Niall's voice. He's just arrived at the table.

"Mornin'!" he says cheerfully. He glances at Harry and does a double take. "Damn." Harry notices that Niall's Irish accent is thicker when he curses. "You look _horrible_." Harry sighs. "Thanks Niall." Liam leans in to take a look at Harry. "You do look really pale. Are you sick?" His face is full of concern. Harry shakes his head and feels the blood rush to his cheeks as he admits what's actually going on. "'M nervous." Louis raises an eyebrow. "I can't understand a word you're saying." Harry sighs and takes a deep breath. "I am _nervous_." Louis smirks a little. "Don't worry about it! It's completely--." Louis pauses as his phone buzzes in his pocket. "Oh, I, uh, gotta go. I'll see you guys later." He pats Jenna on the knee then he makes his way through the crowd of students in the lobby without a second glance in their direction. Harry turns to look at Jenna. Her hands are clenched into fists at her sides, her lips are pursed, and her face is turning red. She looks fit to burst, and Harry can't blame her. Louis has been acting like this since school started.

The bell rings and Jenna huffs as she jumps down from the table, her feet smacking the floor so hard Harry cringes. "What. Is. His. _Problem_?!" She grunts in frustration as she picks up her bag and throws it over her shoulder. Liam frowns as he shrugs. "I don't know. He's acting like a twat." They're both clearly unhappy with their lifelong friend, who seems to have taken to blowing them off. Liam exhales. "Anyway, Harry, what Mr. Prick was trying to say was that it's completely normal and fine to feel nervous. It _is_ your first game. Once you get out there and actually start playing, though, the nerves disappear. It's just a rush of adrenaline." Liam smiles reassuringly, and Harry is grateful that he has someone to reassure him. He doesn't feel like such a pansy anymore.

They reach the AP Biology classroom and say goodbye to Jenna, who says she'll see Harry next period. Liam, Harry, and Niall walk the short distance to Anatomy in an unawkward silence. Harry wonders what the other boys are thinking about. Usually Niall is talking, but today he's completely silent. Harry suspects he knows something they don't, but he pushes the thought aside. As they enter the classroom, Niall groans. Chelsea is standing at her desk, engaged in a heated conversation with one of her friends. Words like "bitch" and "ugly" float over to where the three boys are standing. "Looks like someone's a little pissy today," Harry says so only Liam and Niall can hear. "Ya think?" Niall snorts. They try to listen a little more closely, opening their ears. They all stiffen when they hear her say Jenna's name. Harry's eyes widen. He looks from Liam to Niall in disbelief, each of their mouth's parted in shock.

Harry really hopes that the two adjectives Chelsea so kindly used weren't to describe Jenna. As far as Harry is concerned, Jenna couldn't be farther from being one of those, especially the second one. Liam looks pissed. He starts towards Chelsea, looking menacing, but he's cut off by the bell. Well, saved by the bell, Harry thinks, because if he would have gotten to her things would not have gone well. Niall's lips are pursed as he heads to his seat. Harry sits heavily. The teacher isn't in the room yet, so Harry leans his head on his hand and closes his eyes. A hand smacks the desk next to his elbow and he jumps, unpleased to see Chelsea standing in front of him. He puts on a bored expression.

"Good morning, Harry," she says in her annoyingly high voice. He raises his eyebrows. "Hi." She blinks, obviously not understanding that Harry does _not_ want to talk to her. She leans further onto Harry's desk, and he has to move his arm to avoid being touched. "Ready for tonight?" She flips her hair and bats her eyelashes as she says it. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry sees Niall mouth the words  _try hard_ to Liam, who nods and rolls his eyes. Harry responds after fighting a grin. "Yep." Chelsea looks at him like she's expecting him to elaborate, but her expression quickly changes to her sickeningly sweet smile. "I can't wait to see you play. I've heard great things about you from the other boys." She winks as she straightens up. Harry simply says "cool," and he hears Niall snort. Chelsea shoots a menacing glare in his direction. Niall cocks his eyebrows at her. She clears her throat. "Well, Harry, I'll see you on the field tonight." She flips her hair as she walks to her seat.

Harry turns to look at Niall and Liam, who look like they're about to bust into laughter at any second. Chelsea acts like the typical movie mean girl, and it's actually quite amusing to watch. Harry, however entertaining Chelsea may be, wishes that she would back off. She corners him every morning to talk and (try) to flirt with him. He's tired of it, and it's only been a few days. Niall is right: she's trying to hard, and Harry has a feeling that if he didn't have an accent she wouldn't be paying attention to him much. When the teacher arrives and apologizes for being late, they give her their attention. The rest of the class period passes quickly. Niall and Liam shoot glares at Chelsea every once in a while, and Harry pretends to ignore the fact that she looks at him more than she does the notes they're supposed to be taking.

When the bell rings to signal the end of class, Harry gathers his things and shoves them in his bag quickly, then he practically runs to meet Liam and Niall at the door, sighing in relief as the exit without another Chelsea encounter. Harry and Liam discuss what they overheard Chelsea saying, and Niall stays quiet, keeping his head down. Now Harry _knows_ there's something NIall's hiding. Harry will talk to him later. If Niall's keeping it a secret, there's obviously a reason.

The rest of the day (which went exactly as usual, Louis continuing to be a dick at lunch time) passes too quickly for Harry's taste because he's suddenly standing in the field house in front of his football jersey in only his Under Armour. He stares at the jersey as he puts his pads on. For home games, his jersey is completely green, a white number 80 donning the front and back. Yellow bands circle the collar and the sleeves. He pulls it on (with slight difficulty; the pads are huge!) and adjusts it over the pads so that it fits perfectly over his shoulders. His hair falls in his face, and as he pushes it back, he remembers he's supposed to be finding a way to keep it out of his face. If it fell during the game, it wouldn't be good. He's probably let it grow too long, but he doesn't care. He likes it long.

He digs through his athletic bag for a minute or so before he finally finds what he's looking for in one of the side pockets. The bandana he pulls out is printed with the image of an American flag. He folds it so it will look like a thick rectangle on his head, then ties it so it hold the hair out of his face and pushes his curls up so they don't dangle onto his neck. He figures they'll probably fall out, but this is good enough for now. He pulls on his cleats and ties them tight. Coach Miller begins to speak just as Harry finishes. The coach gives the team a pep talk, telling them to have fun but remember their ultimate goal: victory. Harry isn't sure if the pep talk hurts or helps; he's feeling just as sick after the talk as he was before it. Coach Miller ends the talk by shouting "Alright boys! Let's go win a game!"

The boys file out of the locker room, helmets in hand. Louis and Liam hang back to walk with Harry. "Alright, man?" Liam asks sincerely. Harry gulps. "Yeah... I think." He grins. "I'll be okay." Louis claps him on the back. "That's the spirit!" He's extremely excited, bouncing with each step. He obviously loves playing. He's probably been anticipating this day for months. Liam looks at Harry seriously. "Make sure you stretch really well at warm ups, okay? We don't need you breaking or tearing or pulling anything." Harry nods. "Alright."

Warm ups begin as soon as they reach the field. Harry watches people find seats on the bleachers as they stretch. The warm ups end just as quickly as they begin though, and the ten minute warning buzzer sounds just as he catches a pass from another player. They jog to the edge of the field where Coach Miller waits, the sun beginning to set behind them. Coach Miller prays over the team, asking for safety and guided hands. When he's finished, the team huddles up. Liam tells the team to put their hands in, and he counts to three. The team yells "MUSTANGS!" in unison, then lines up behind a banner the cheerleaders have erected for the players to run through. Harry fidgets in anticipation. The buzzer sounds, signaling the start of the game.

The team song pounds through the speakers. Harry runs through the banner and out into the stadium. He hears the screams of fans, the chants of the student section, and the notes of the marching band. Liam was right: Harry feels nothing but adrenaline. He pushes his bandana up involuntarily.

Harry is ready to win.

\---

**Jenna**

Jenna stands in front of the green and yellow student section, scanning the sea of faces for the three distinct ones she knows as her best friends. When she spots them, she hurries up the steps and edges her way into her seat, mumbling "excuse me" as she goes. When she reaches them, the team song is playing and the football team is crashing through the banner and onto the field. "I'm so excited!" Perrie shouts over the roar of the crowd. Zayn gives her an adoring look; he practically worships the ground she walks on. She could tell Zayn she killed his entire family and he would probably forgive her and love her just the same. Jenna smiles at the thought. There are a few minutes before kick-off, and Niall announces that he's going to get some nachos. Zayn leaves with him, but only because Perrie asks him to pretty please get her some, too.

"How are things with Lou?" Perrie asks, concerned. Jenna simply shrugs. The truth is, she doesn't know. He's back and forth with her.

The celebration dinner that Louis suggested sucked. He was only half listening, looking at his phone every single time it buzzed. He didn;t even know the waitress at the restaurant wanted to take his order until Liam kicked him from under the table.

During AP Biology this morning, Jenna had gotten extremely fed up as Louis was texting during the lab they were doing. She was trying to tell him about something funny Niall had done, and he wasn't paying any attention. "What the hell is your problem?" Jenna snapped. Louis' head snapped up. "Excuse me?" Louis spat back. "I said, what the _hell_ is your problem?" she said back, enunciating each word. She continued to speak through gritted teeth. "All you've been doing is texting someone and whenever we ask you who it is, you ignore us and change the subject. You're barely giving me the time of day!" Louis placed his phone in his pocket and placed his hands on Jenna's shoulders. "Have I really been doing that?" he asked, his voice soft. "Yes, and it's pissing me and everyone else off." Jenna said simply. Louis looked down and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize. I'm going to do better okay?"

And he had. All day. Well, all day until school released for the weekend. She really wanted to give him a hug and wish him good luck for the game, but he didn't show up after school. She wouldn't take any excuses from him, though; Liam and Harry were there, and, if she wasn't imagining it, they were as annoyed as she was. She doesn't hate Louis, she's just fed up with whatever this is. She hopes she can figure it out; she doesn't want to spend the semester like this.

Jenna tells Perrie the happenings of the day and finishes just as the boys get back with the nachos and the buzzer sounds to signal kick off. The captains meet in the middle, Liam looking much larger and stronger than the captains of the other team, and the referee flips the coin. He sticks his right arm out towards Liam and Louis: the Mustangs have the ball.

 There's a moment of silent anticipation as the ball soars through the air, then the crowd erupts in triumphant shouts as a kick off reciever catches the ball and runs for the endzone. The cheering stops when he is tackled, and the players line up for the next play. Jenna scans the field. She spots her boys, Liam and Louis, lined up one behind the other, respectively. She continues to look around the field, her eyes shifting from player to player until she spots who she was looking for. 

Harry is located on the far side of the field, close to the visiting team's bleachers. Even from where Jenna is sitting, she can tell he towers over the majority of the offensive players. Harry's tall frame and muscular abdomen should have automatically pegged him as a defensive player, able to effectively sack offensive players and keep them away from the endzone. What makes Harry different is his large hands and his long legs, which enable him to catch without fumbling and run like hell towards the endzone. Hopefully he'll be able to score some points. 

As soon as the play starts, Louis takes the ball from Liam and looks for an open pass. Harry is clearly open, but Louis doesn't see him, and he passes the ball to the other wide reciever instead, who gets tackled a few seconds later. The crowd groans. A few similar plays later, Harry still hasn't recieved the ball for various reasons, and Perrie begins to yell angrily about how they need to give Harry the ball or she will march down to that sideline and teach them a thing or two about fairness in football. Jenna grins; Perrie's always been fiesty. It's one of Jenna's favorite things about her, even though Perrie can get too big for her britches sometimes. 

The game continues in a similar fashion, except Harry actually recieves the ball. He catches it flawlessly each time, and he's usually able to make first down before he's tackled. Jenna's amazed at how fast he can run; Louis and Liam had mentioned it, but they never told her exactly how fast. Compared to the other players on the team, he's like a cheetah. The only person on the field who can match his speed is the defensive player who continues tackling him, and he barely makes it. 

Throughout the game, the four friends cheer, laugh, talk, and just have fun simply by being together. By the end of fourth quarter, they're tired and they're losing their voices, but they're still standing and smiling. They groan as an offensive player from the other team scores with only one minute left, tying up the game. Granted, a lot can happen in one minute of football, but it doesn't make anyone less anxious. 

The offensive players huddle around Liam, who is gesturing wildly with his hands. The huddle breaks, and the team lines up at the end of the field. Three plays carry out in the same way: Liam hands the ball off to Louis, who passes it to the other wide reciever, who makes a first down and is then tackled. There are only fifteen seconds left in the game, and they're stuck at the fifty yard line. It's likely that they won't win, and Perrie shouts obscenities at the other team, her actions earning a few glares from the parents who sit around them. 

The players line up again, and the play begins. Liam passes the ball to Louis. Thirteen seconds. Louis turns where he's standing, and throws a long pass to Harry, who catches the ball flawlessly. Ten seconds. Harry runs as fast as he can toward the endzone, leaving the defensive players in his wake. Now, it's just him against time. The crowd cheers loudly, an encouragement of white noise. Jenna leans forward and mutters "come on, come on, come on" over and over. It seems like the world is moving in slow motion and then everything is chaos and noise and celebration as Harry reaches the endzone just as the buzzer sounds. 

Jenna screams and hugs Perrie, who then shares a (rather wet and sloppy) celebration kiss with Zayn. The Mustangs haven't won their first game in three years, and the feeling of finally reaching that goal is euphoric and exciting. The band plays the fight song one last time before parents and friends of players make their way down to congratulate them on the field. Perrie, Zayn, Niall, and Jenna walk down together to find Liam, Louis, and Harry. 

They spot Liam first: he's smiling and hugging his parents. When they leave, he runs over and shares a group hug with his friends. "You did it!" Jenna shouts. "I can't believe it!" Liam says, running a hand through his sweaty hair. "My face hurts; I can't stop smiling!" Somone calls his name and he turns. He waves and says goodbye, then disappears into the crowd. 

Someone runs up and grabs Jenna from behind, picking her up and spinning her around. Louis. They laugh as he sits her back down on the field and they share a long hug. "Louis, ya made some amazing passes! Since when can ya throw like that, mate?" Niall teases. Louis simply shurgs in response. Perrie steps up and shoves a finger in his face. "Why don't you put those passes to good use and get the ball to Harry more? No offense," she whispers, "but the other guy sucks." Zayn cocks his eyebrows. Louis just grins, unsure of what to say next. "Alright, well, I'd love to stay and chat but, uh, I have to go over there before we go back to the fieldhouse." He gestures to the large group of players that stands by the sideline. Jenna looks at him. "Why?" she asks, trying not to sound condescending. "Oh, uh... to find some people," Louis says. Jenna isn't having any of his excuses for leaving this time. "Who?" "Just leave it alone, Jenna. It doesn't matter," he snaps. Ouch. Jenna takes a step back, and Louis looks sorry for a moment before he backs up, too. "I'll see you guys later, okay?" "Yeah. Okay." Jenna would feel sorry about her cold tone if she wasn't so hurt. She watches as Louis nods, then turns his back on them and walks into the crowd.

Perrie's eyes are wide, and Zayn is looking at Jenna sympathetically. Niall looks annoyed. "Let's go congratulate Harry," he suggests. Zayn stands on his toes and looks into the crowd of players. "If we can find him. The poor guys is probably getting bombarded." They walk around to the back side of the crowd and finally spot Harry. He's holding his helmet as he shakes hands with a few parents of the other players. When he spots the group, his gives the people around him a small wave, says excuse me, and strides over. 

The first thing that comes to Jenna's mind when she looks at him is _holy shit._ He looks hot in his football unform. Really hot. Really _really_ hot. His arms look somewhat more muscular, and most of his tattoos are exposed. His helmet is dangling from his fingers, and the ends of his hair are curling, wet with sweat, around the bandana he's tied around his head. His cheeks and his lips are flushed, and he's smiling that stupid crooked smile that Jenna can't seem to get enough of. As if all of that isn't enough, the green in the uniform gives Harry's eyes the appearance of blown glass: shiny and translucent.

"Hello," he says sheepishly. Jenna wraps her arms around his waist. "Wait, Jen, 'm all sweaty!" he protests. "I don't care! You just won the first football game for us! You deserve it." Jenna argues firmly. He does smell, but not unbearably so. Zayn shakes Harry's hand. "You told us in class that you were afraid everyone was going to hate you, but you're far from it, man." Jenna nods. They listen to Harry talk about his experience (his annoyance at Louis for not pasing the ball to him when he was wide open earning many interjections by a still fired up Perrie) and how he felt running by himself for the endzone at the end until the team must walk back to the field house. He waves starts toward the stadium exit. Jenna stares at him as he goes, embarrassed when he glances back to look at her. Jenna knows Perrie notices, but she stays silent, and Jenna is thankful. 

As she drives home after the game, Jenna thinks about Louis and the way he acted tonight. She's beginning to question her romantic feelings about him. Maybe she's been confusing sibling-like love with romantic love; it's easy to do when you're desperate. All she knows is that she needs to get to the bottom of whatever is going on with him because it's getting old. Fast.

Then there's Harry, who's come into her life and made things a little bit new and exciting. Is she developing feelings for him? She doesn't know, but she's going to take it slow and not jump to the emotions she feels stirring up inside her. She wants to figure things out. Besides, he would be a great friend, right? Right. 

But Jenna knows that something's been inside her from day one that's wishing Harry would be more.


End file.
